Rima Pustiani, 2014
IDENTIFYING CHARACTER PRESENTATION AND MOTHERHOOD ISSUE THROUGH THE TECHNIQUE OF FOCALIZATION IN THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO BY PAULO COELHO
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
This final chapter provides the conclusions of the research on the grounds of
findings and discussions presented in the previous chapter. In addition, this chapter
also offers suggestions for further research on similar topic.
5.1 Conclusion
This study aims to reveal how the main character in Paulo Coelho’s the Witch
of Portobello is focalized through other characters’ perspectives. It answers two questions formulated to discover focalization on the way the main character’s traits
are presented and the way it presents the main character’s portrayal of motherhood.
Answering the questions, it is found that Athena, the main character in the novel, is a
strong, independent woman with paranormal abilities who was brave enough to take
dangerous risks and difficult paths to satisfy her curiosity. It is also revealed that
Athena is described to be a strong mother figure who loves her son and takes care of
him very well.
Through the perspectives of the people who are directly and indirectly related to
her, Athena is described both positively and negatively or only positively depending
on their own views and their relation proximity towards Athena. She is depicted to be
a woman who is strong, brave, independent, attractive, and determined. On the other
side, Athena is also depicted to be adamant and mysterious. In short, Athena is a
woman with a gift of witchcraft who is also a human with some good personalities
and is motherly too.
Focalization can also help revealing the issues surfaced in a novel. In this case,
Rima Pustiani, 2014
IDENTIFYING CHARACTER PRESENTATION AND MOTHERHOOD ISSUE THROUGH THE TECHNIQUE OF FOCALIZATION IN THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO BY PAULO COELHO
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
single parent to a son named Viorel. The focalizers, cohesively voiced, depict Athena
to be a mother who gives sincere love and care to her son. It is described that Viorel
is the most important thing for Athena which explains why he has always been her
priority. This character of Athena fits the traditional myth of motherhood, a concept
which puts mothers to naturally give care and love to their children.
In conclusion, Paulo Coelho’s the Witch of Portobello captures the idea that
character presentation can be revealed through narrative perspective with more than
one focalizer. Additionally, this study confirms the concept that says that focalization
can also settle the literary effects including the themes and issues surfaced in a novel
which is suggested by Culler (1997), Nieragden (2002), and Firth (2011).
2.3 Suggestion
There are several suggestions that can be proposed for further research on
related topics. First, it is suggested that other researchers should go wider on the
themes surfaced in the Witch of Portobello beside motherhood. Motherhood is not the
only issue emerged in the novel, there is also an interesting feminine divinity issue
portrayed by the main female character that can be taken up for further studies. A
deeper look on other themes will provide different knowledge or views towards the
novel. Second, it will be better for further study with the topic of focalization and
character presentation to include theories on characterization too. The study can be
richer because it is built with both the concepts of focalization and characterization.
Nevertheless, studying focalization can be challenging at some points. For
example, there have not been many journals or articles that study focalization
especially if the study relates to character as well. It made the research process more
complicated because there is not much to reflect to. Therefore, other researchers who
are interested in studying the same topic must fully learn about the concept and be
